Madam slams proposed brothel legislation

A prominent Western Australian madam has accused Independent MP Adele Carles of doing a backflip by indicating she may support the State Government's bill on prostitution.

Ms Carles has offered to make a deal, if the government agrees to three key changes, including increasing the penalty for a brothel owner who employs a child and establishing a women's shelter to help prostitutes leave the industry.

Brothel madam Mary Anne Kenworthy says the legislation is unworkable in its current state and Ms Carles should stick to her guns.

"She [Adele Carles] told me clearly to my face that she would not be supporting the bill because she didn't think it was good legislation across the board," she said.

"To pass a law that is atrocious and not workable will send the industry underground; I would have expected a lot better from Adele Carles."

In reply, Ms Carles says she told Ms Kenworthy that she did not support the bill in its initial form but it has now been substantially amended.

"She needs to get up to speed and understand that there's a whole new bill on the table now and that I am seeking further amendments to that legislation so that women who are damaged by this industry can actually find a way out of it," she said.

"I'd just like to point out that Mary Anne Kenworthy has a vested interest in this.

"She is a brothel owner and I am not here to support brothel owners. In my view, they actually run an industry that profits from the exploitation of women and my sole focus in this prostitution bill is amending it so that women who are harmed by this industry can actually leave prostitution.

"She did say to me that if I supported the Attorney General's bill that she would come and run against me in the seat of Fremantle; I thought that was quite bizarre."

Meanwhile, the WA Attorney General Christian Porter will meet three other MPs today in a bid to secure their support for the bill.

Mr Porter will meet Liberal MPs Peter Abetz and Graham Jacobs as well as Independent Janet Woollard to discuss possible amendments to the legislation.

They are pushing for a number of changes including a sunset clause to phase out the industry.

Dr Woollard says she is hopeful her amendments will be supported by the Liberal MPs.

"I have had a preliminary meeting with the member for Eyre and the member for Southern River and I've put my amendments to them and so they've given preliminary support," she said.

However, the Premier Colin Barnett says a push to outlaw prostitution across WA is unrealistic.

"I don't think it would work. To review the legislation, to review its effectiveness, I think all of those things have merit," he said.

"I wish I could ban prostitution but I can't and everyone knows that."